Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Note this advice is coming from someone who works at Canaccord whose CEO Peter Brown sold himself out to the Harper CONs for a seat on the VANOC Board back on November 2, 2006, two day after Flaherty's trust tax was announced as follows:Article: New Members Appointed to Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee Board of Directors

Article from: CCNMatthews Newswire Article date: November 2, 2006

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Nov. 2, 2006) - The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, today announced three new Government of Canada appointments to volunteer positions on the board of directors of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Peter Brown, of Vancouver, British Columbia; Jacques Gauthier, of Montreal, Quebec; and Carol Stephenson, of London, Ontario, will join the 20-member board of directors committee as federal representatives. These new board members will bring a wealth of valuable expertise in leading and managing …

On 3/17/10 10:13 AM, "michael popovich"

Here is another writer that misses the fact that many [38% to be precise) trust units are held within RRSPs & double taxation will occur.

Either these people are stupid or they are trying to make the trust tax look more harmless than it its.

As we approach 2011, many investors are thinking about the federal government’s tax fairness plan, first announced in October 2006.

They are concerned about how their income trust holdings will fare when faced with pending changes. Income-oriented investors worry about having a shortfall in retirement funding.

Effective Jan. 1, 2011, income trusts that are classified as specified investment flow-through trusts (SIFTs) will become liable to pay distribution taxes, known as the SIFT tax. All sectors of the income trust realm are subject to the SIFT tax, but the level to which they will be affected depends on the type of trust.

According to Canaccord Adams analyst Kyle Preston of Calgary, energy trusts appear to be the best positioned of all sectors for a successful conversion to dividend-paying corporations.

Several have already converted and have held their distributions/dividends flat.

Crescent Point Energy Corp. (TSX: CPG) is a good example. On conversion, the company’s monthly dividend per share was equal to its monthly distribution per unit.

The company has since maintained the $2.76 dividend, indicating consistency for income-oriented investors.

Engineering and construction income trusts are largely expected to cut distributions on conversion. Since October 2007, 29 have completed conversions, but only four have been able to maintain distributions without having to purchase tax assets.

Decisions to cut distributions appear to be based on the relative health of the balance sheet. Since engineering and construction firms tend to be acquisitive by nature, they need to be able to finance acquisitions, and large dividends may not be sustainable post-conversion.

Power and pipeline income trusts are a bit more varied. While most have stated plans to convert by 2011, those that are classified as limited partnerships (LPs) can hold off and convert at a later date with no tax consequences.

Delaying conversion gives LPs the ability to maintain a higher distribution and thus the potential to be rewarded by the markets as income-investors hunt for yield.

Business trusts are expected to have the most difficulties when making the conversion to corporations because most do not have any significant tax shelters to offset the rollover. As they become taxable, the majority of business trusts are expected to reduce distributions by as much as 20-30 per cent.

Regardless of the income trust sector, most individual taxable investors should not experience a significant decrease in the income stream they earn from these investments.

The Canadian source portion of the distribution will be taxed as a dividend and thus will be eligible for the dividend tax credit.

For example, a taxable individual investor remains in the same position on an after-tax basis when receiving a $1 dividend from a corporation instead of a $1.22-$1.43 cash distribution from an income trust.

This is beneficial since investors in most provinces can earn up to $30,000 to $40,000 in dividends without paying any material taxes, assuming no other income is earned, and investors in the lowest tax bracket often realize more than the dividend due to the tax credit mechanism.

Even when factoring in a distribution cut, it’s estimated that, due to the benefits associated with the dividend tax credit, taxable individual investors can withstand up to a 29 per cent cut before being negatively affected.

In assessing the impact of SIFT taxation, investors need to pay close attention to their individual tax situation and should consult with their tax advisors as there is a wide discrepancy between provinces and at different levels of income.

Kim Inglis is an investment advisor, CIM with Canaccord Wealth Management, a division of Canaccord Financial Ltd. Member CIPF. Find out more at www.kiminglis.ca .

3 comments:

Anonymous
said...

CanardbytheCord (Canaccord)This is the firm that put most of the clients in fluffy mainstream hedge funds that lost over 60% in 2008, some even shut down and how can we forget the poor sap Canaccord Investors who were sold ABCP crap. Yes, if you can sell crap you can sell yourself.

Speaking of people who sold themselves, Margaret Lefevbre was offered and took a position with the NRC (National Research Council). Lefebvre has sincereturned to CAIF (Canadian Association Of Income Funds). Two questions remain.

Why would CAIF take Lefebvre back and what sort of commitment does she have to income trusters?

Ms. Lefebvre has a broad administrative experience in the private and public sectors. Her first directorship was with Bobtex Corporation, a family company which developed a new spinning technology. She later moved to the management and supervision of pension funds for not-for-profit organizations and is currently Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Income Funds.

Among other activities, she has been President of the Couchiching Institute for Public Affairs, Councillor for the City of Westmount (on the Montreal island), a director of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, a director of the Society for the Industrial Development of Montreal and a member of the federal working group for the creation of the Canadian Academies of Science.

I guess a BA degree with no experience or training in science makes a person a perfect candidate for this appointment?

Margaret Lefebvre Appointed to the National Research Council of Canada

OTTAWA, November 2, 2006 — The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), today appointed Ms. Margaret Lefebvre as a member of the Council.

"Ms. Lefebvre's experience and knowledge in science and research will bring rich and diverse contributions to the Council as it continues to further its work," said Minister Bernier.

Margaret Lefebvre has had the opportunity to serve on several boards, including the working group to create a national science organization, the Council of Canadian Academies. Ms. Lefebvre is currently the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Income Funds.

Recognized globally for research and innovation, the NRC is a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology.

EVENTS

Income Trust Halloween VigilThanks to all who participated in both the Ottawa and Calgary vigils to mark the anniversary of the announcement.

WE"D LIKE SOME ANSWERS

As you well know, the ‘income trust thing’ has grown beyond the
question of whether fair taxes are paid on income from trusts. It’s
become a giant dirty snowball, and as it rolls forward it accumulates
more and more bulk. There are so many unanswered questions. Let's list a few and invite our "Accountable" government and our free press to provide some much-needed answers.

It is said “Trusts are inefficient use of capital. Why?” Two
related questions are ‘Whose money is it, anyway?’, and ‘Do Canadian
investors have a free and efficient market?’

How can information that is already in the public domain at SEDAR
make for a state secret? How could such information be used to harm
the Canadian national interest? And who would cause the harm?

Why won’t the Canadian media investigate the falsehoods and
misrepresentations told by the Minister of Finance to a committee of
Parliament? Was the Minister in contempt of Parliament?

Why won’t the Canadian media report (a) government tax revenues
gained from BCE in 2006 when BCE was a corporation to (b) government
tax revenues that would be gained in 2007 from BCE, if BCE had been
allowed to proceed to a trust, and (c) government tax revenues that
will be gained in 2007 from BCE, when BCE ownership has been carved
up as 45% foreign ownership and 55% large Canadian pension fund
ownership?